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More than 40 employees lived at their plant for 28 days to make material to protect health care workers

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Updated: 8:21 AM CDT Apr 21, 2020

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in the time when there may not be as much to celebrate. Thes essential workers at Braskem America in Marcus Hook are relishing every second of this particular moment, clocking out for the first time in 28 days. There's been a a glow in everyone's eyes, they say. More than 40 workers unanimously deciding to leave their families and agreeing to eat, sleep and live at the facility where they make equipment for health care workers, team working 12 hour shifts, TV and the occasional drive by from family members the only outside contact they've had. We're truly honored to be able to give back and support people we will never meet in some way, shift, Supervisor Joe Boy says. The group was split into two shifts to make poly propylene, a non woven fibre used to make and 95 mask hospital gowns and sanitary wipes. Boy says. To a degree, this smoke is bittersweet. The team, realising the world around them has significantly changed in the past month. We've almost been the lucky ones. I'll say for the last 28 days because I haven't had to stand six feet from somebody I haven't had to put a mask on, but it's all a small price to pay. Knowing that the work they put forth is making a difference in the battle against Kobe. 19 1st responders, all the people on the front lines way. Thank you for what you've done that that's what makes our job easy to do.

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More than 40 employees lived at their plant for 28 days to make material to protect health care workers

Workers at a Pennsylvania manufacturing plant got to clock out and go home for the first time in almost a month after a marathon effort to make material needed for personal protective medical equipment.More than 40 employees volunteered to spend 28 days at the Braskem America plant in Marcus Hook, near Philadelphia, to make polypropylene — a raw material needed to make N95 masks, medical gowns and other protective gear, WPVI reported. They went home on Sunday.Braskem set up the live-in rotation to "to help ensure the health and safety of our team members who are working as an essential service throughout this crisis to keep these key supply lines running," the company said in a news release.The plant makes 771 million pounds of polypropylene each year, according to the company's website.The crews worked 12-hour shifts, while they were away from their families and friends, but got occasional drive-by visits from loved ones, who waved signs and honked their horns in support, WPVI reported.The company gave them an increase in wages and provided beds, kitchens, groceries, internet access and iPads.Workers in Texas and West Virginia also worked the live-in rotations."We're truly honored to be able to give back and support people we will never meet in some way," operations shift supervisor Joe Boyce told WPVI. "All the first responders, all the people on the front lines, we thank you. That's what makes our job easy to do."The workers seemed excited to be going home and video showed some whooping as they punched the time clock.They'll get a week off before returning to their normal shifts, WPVI reported.Boyce said the world has changed a lot while they've been at work."We've almost been the lucky ones, I'll say for the last 28 days because I haven't had to stand six feet from somebody. I haven't had to put a mask on," he told WPVI.

MARCUS HOOK, Pa. —

Workers at a Pennsylvania manufacturing plant got to clock out and go home for the first time in almost a month after a marathon effort to make material needed for personal protective medical equipment.

More than 40 employees volunteered to spend 28 days at the Braskem America plant in Marcus Hook, near Philadelphia, to make polypropylene — a raw material needed to make N95 masks, medical gowns and other protective gear, WPVI reported. They went home on Sunday.

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Braskem set up the live-in rotation to "to help ensure the health and safety of our team members who are working as an essential service throughout this crisis to keep these key supply lines running," the company said in a news release.

The crews worked 12-hour shifts, while they were away from their families and friends, but got occasional drive-by visits from loved ones, who waved signs and honked their horns in support, WPVI reported.

The company gave them an increase in wages and provided beds, kitchens, groceries, internet access and iPads.

Workers in Texas and West Virginia also worked the live-in rotations.

"We're truly honored to be able to give back and support people we will never meet in some way," operations shift supervisor Joe Boyce told WPVI. "All the first responders, all the people on the front lines, we thank you. That's what makes our job easy to do."

The workers seemed excited to be going home and video showed some whooping as they punched the time clock.

They'll get a week off before returning to their normal shifts, WPVI reported.

Boyce said the world has changed a lot while they've been at work.

"We've almost been the lucky ones, I'll say for the last 28 days because I haven't had to stand six feet from somebody. I haven't had to put a mask on," he told WPVI.